Tradition and innovation, training and promotion: this is the path that the Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro is pursuing. In recent days, the fifth edition of the workshop promoted by the university spinoff Net4Science on “Scientific research and corporate valorisation” took place at the CRISEA Research Centre.
Like every year, the workshop was organized by the doctoral course in Life Sciences of the Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro, in collaboration with CRISEA, Advanced Research Center for Rural Innovation, in Condoleo di Belcastro, in the province of Catanzaro.
Great satisfaction from the president of CRISEA, Stefano Alcaro: “The event took place in an atmosphere of great sharing and enthusiasm. The Center proved to be the perfect location to express the great potential of the spinoff, in harmony with all the fundamental actors involved, the Magna Graecia University, the Calabria Region and the other bodies involved. The conditions for being able to put the efforts that are being made to the ground are all there. We must overcome the resistance of bureaucracy and personalism and continue to work as a team, also by establishing new scientific and organizational collaborations”.
The meeting was opened by greetings from the new rhector of the UMG of Catanzaro, Giovanni Cuda; the president of the Regional Council, Filippo Mancuso; the regional councilor for Agriculture, Gianluca Gallo; the mayor of Belcastro, Antonio Torchia; the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Catanzaro Crotone and Vibo, Pietro Falbo; the president of Unindustria Calabria, Aldo Ferrara; the extraordinary commissioner ARSAC, Fulvia Caligiuri; the extraordinary commissioner SIN Crotone, Emilio Errigo; President Gal Kroton, Christmas Carvello.
The theme of the event concerned updates on bioactive compounds in functional foods.
The first session, moderated by Vincenzo Mollace And Anthony Procopius of the Umg, was dedicated to the exhibition of the results of the research conducted in 2023, with particular reference to the projects on agri-food products of the Torchia olive company, the Kroton GAL and the Municipality of Cardinale. Added to these was the experience of the first cultivation and transformation of Senatore-Cappelli wheat carried out entirely on the land where the CRISEA center is located. The following were present: Francesco Ortusofull professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at UMG and CEO of Net4Science; Emanuela Marchese And Antonio Curcio, doctoral students at UMG; Isabella Romeo, teaching assistant of Pharmaceutical Chemistry UMG & Net4Science; Luigi Muraca, CRISEA board member and new councilor of the Municipality of Lamezia Terme.
In the second session, conducted by Antonio Mazzei of Fincalabria, focused on innovative models and future collaborations, covered topics such as organizational aspects; a plant with very strong antioxidant effects; glycemic monitoring of diets based on ancient grains; PRIN projects which will involve the CRISEA center and the debated issue of combating synthetic foods. The following were present: Fulvio Mattivi And Agostino Cavazza of the Edmund Mach Foundation; Paola Dugofull professor of Food Chemistry at the University of Messina; Maurizio Cipollageneral secretary of the Italian Society of Telemedicine; Anna Artese, associate professor at UMG; Luigi Scordamagliamanaging director of Filiera Italia.
The bilingual volume dedicated to the “Activities of the CRISEA Center from 2021 to 2023” was presented, with the intervention of Francesco Chiellinomanager of the Competitiveness Sector of the Agriculture Department of the Calabria Region.
The day ended with the first GRANUM@CRISEA tasting, characterized by culinary variations of the flour produced by the CRISEA center from its durum wheat by well-known experts in the local cereal processing sector: Fioccata, Amato, Agrama, Tassone and Caccavari.
The workshop can be watched via the YouTube channel of the Net4Science spinoff.